Coming up tonight at 9, “Piers Morgan Live” welcomes Rick Warren, and a studio audience, for an hour-long interview dealing with a myriad of topics, including personal issues, politics, and the new Pope’s fresh perspective on homosexuality and the church.

Having welcomed the senior pastor of Saddleback Church in the past, Morgan is entirely familiar with Warren's stance against same-sex marriage. However, perhaps on the heels of a new papal institution, the host revisits the issue.

"Do you believe in equality for all,” Morgan asks, a question to which he quickly received a response in the affirmative.

“Then how can you as a Christian man, and a great man..." Morgan continues “...how can you espouse genuine equality if you don't allow gay people the same right to get married as straight people?”

For the well-known American evangelical Christian pastor, the argument isn't packaged in terms of an issue of equality, but rather as an interpretation of God’s scripture:

“I'm more against the redefinition of the term marriage than anything else.”

Their conversation on the topic continued as Morgan pressed on further until Pastor Warren finally concluded, “I fear the disapproval of God more than I fear your disapproval or the disapproval of society.”

Bad people will always find the guns, whether they are illegal or not! Why punish people who are responsible, good, and lawbiding by outlawing guns. You don't want one fine. Don't take away my rights just to satisfy your fears!

Guns aren't the only way for people to do damage. Nor do they do the most damage. Ex. Timothy McVeigh did quite a lot of damage and he didn't use a gun. Further, what if James Holmes wasn't able to get guns? he demonstrated he knew how to make explosives, so if he couldn't get guns he may have resorted to using bombs which could have been even worse.

Further, while "bad people" have used guns to cause harm, others have used them to defend themselves. Unfortunately, those stories seldom make the news. So we are given a very distorted view about guns themselves with no really good way of evaluating the cost/benefits of having guns.

Not too long ago, I was watching CNN. And I heard about Gay Marriage, do you want to know what I think. Please let the whole world know, the only way it should be allowed in our eyes or even to vote for. Only if it's a Gay man & a Lesbian, keep in mind the Lord God Almighty made us Male & Female... Husband's LOVE your Wife's as Christ Loves the Church... Amen... let us remember the Scriptures... which are written for Us...

Except you can't force people into your beliefs. What your suggesting breaks the first amendment. You can believe what you want, but the second you try and force what YOUR god says, you break the first amendment. Its fascism.

I just viewed this show. Pierce Morgan is truly growing into his stature. My only beef with him is/was....was, for I am not noticing it as much as I used to...is that he would often ask a question, the interviewee would then respond, then begin to elaborate just as the audience (me) thinks the subject is going to say something profound. I could see Pierce's mind working in those instances-he seemed to be formulating questions in his mind before he had received a thorough answer. I guess we all to that at sometime or another ,but as I said,he is truly growing into his stature. OK...I salute Rick Warren's belief in his knowledge. I believe all that Jesus is, everything he means, every word he speak, he speak upon the hallowed walls of our souls deep within our being. I go there to know the truth.

Thank you Piers for you objectivity and openness to controversial subjects! As a born-again gay male, I went to Evangelical churches like Rick Warren's for years in search of a valid way to live without being a second class citizen. Like tonight, many other Evangelical pastors give a similar interpretation of Scripture that could be argued in context with other Scriptures in the New Testament. Furthermore, other Evangelical pastors, like Rick, ignore giving any kind of embrace or way of life that is obtainable. They seem fine with slamming down their merciless interpretation of Scripture and leaving you out on the cold ... The end result for the LGMT community is rejection and pain in their congregations. At best, if gay issues are kept quiet, a LGBT citizen (born-again or not) can live in the church as a second class citizen. The Pope's recent words were so comforting and brought a sense of relief to a very painful life struggle with the Bible. Marriage in the New Testament was also designed for dealing with lust. It doesn't seem right that Pastors can just keep pounding "law" without a remedy. A person that accepts Jesus into their life is free from the law. How far one can go in terms of being "right" is between God and that person. I think that the Pope made statements that would encourage one to walk into a Catholic church with some welcomeness. My partner was listening to Mr. Warren and was ready to go visit his church until he took his legalistic stand without any type of reality, love or obtainable lifestyle. I hope he recognizes the hurt that his message causes ...

"Do not think I have come to abolish the Law or the prophets. I have NOT come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the TRUTH, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished." ~Jesus in Matthew 5:17-18. Accepting Jesus doesn't mean the Law is abolished. It simply means the Law cannot bring you salvation from sin. Only Jesus' blood can do that. We are all sinners and none of us - NONE of us - can justify that sin by seeking out churches that say what our itching ears want to hear. Sorry.

Thanks Sheila for the passage. The keyword in the Scripture you posted is "fulfill". We are in a New Covenant where we have the nature of God living in us in the form of the Holy Spirit. In terms of character, and the subsequent words of Jesus in the passage you quoted, we are often are led to higher forms of ethical and moral conduct than under the old law or covenant. How do we get there? It is by focusing on Jesus through a Living Relationship empowered by the Holy Spirit NOT living a a set of codes from the Old Covenant. You can't pick and choose old laws under the old covenant to govern the New Testament church. There is a place to seek God, through the direction of the Holy Spirit, in moving through societal changes. The gay issues are certainly in this category. If we were still living under the old law, like Piers mentioned, we would still be stoning people and brining blood sacrifices to church. Hebrews 8:13 –"13 By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear."

Here is Jesus's words for Steven from San Diego "“Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”
Also Paul condemned it as sinful (Rom 1:26–27; 1 Cor 6:9–10; 1 Tim 1:9–10)

From my discussions with other men and women in the LGBT, I don't think that they want to alter or compete with God's original plan for marriage. Many that are trying to find legal protection for joint property and other civil rights want this right more than interfering with "holy" concepts. As for sin and your other quotations, we all have the same starting point, married or gay–we need to recognize our sinful nature. If you will read the next Scripture in your references, you left out the most liberating part of the New Testament and New Covenant. 1 Corinthians 6:11 (NIV) "And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." After this point, like the Pope was eluded, gay men and women need to seek God for what to do with their individual situation and what point our Maker considers a life justified by Faith. When should men cease to judge?

Piers Morgan a Christian, supports gay marriage? How do you define a Christian? Someone who goes to church? Satan goes to church. Or someone who hears the Word and decided to do what the Word of God clearly condemns. It is not the hearers of the Word but the doers of the Words that will be saved, Jesus says. No man has been given the authority to replace the Commandments of God's Words with the opinions of men's words.

My comment is regarding the discussion of diet and the Daniel Plan with Rick Warren.
Stop making it a complicated thing. At the age of 64 I followed the simple Herbalife plan and dropped 32 pounds, 9 waist sizes, increased energy and strength and much more in about 8 months. You don't need another book, MD or psychologist to do it. It's simply 80% nutrition, 20% exercise and 100% mindset (want it bad enough)!

Sin is sin. Should people be able to commit murder, theft or assault, just because they want to, especially if they are genetically predisposed to committing those acts? If someone has a bad temper, should they be permitted or even encouraged to beat people up? It is no different then other sins – lying, cheating, drunkenness, adultery, cursing, blasphemy, etc.

Sin is sin? Ok, fine, but our laws are not based on sin. If they were, then the 10 Commandments would be law. How many are? A whooping 2! "Thou shall not kill". And, "Thou shall not steal." Your analogy falls flat. With murder, assault and theft, there are victims. Who is the victim in marriage equality?

Unfortunately Piers did not do his homework before this interview and misquoted the Bible and cut off Rick Warren before he could respond to his question and correct him and now has misinformed his viewers. The Bible does not say one should be stoned to death for lusting after someone. Jesus said that if one lusts after a woman he has already committed adultery in his heart. Keeping your heart and mind pure – I would not classify this as an archaic notion. When studying the Bible or any piece of literature, you have to understand the times, culture, and society in which it was written to understand it correctly and apply it in your own time, culture, and society. Jane Austen's work seems ridiculous without understanding her time and culture and society. Of course there are values that transcend time and culture. Unfortunately Piers has misquoted one of the most influential books of all time, misinformed his audience, and lost credibility.

Actually Piers brought home a very relevant and correct point. Fundamentally he was very correct. The New Testament is a New Covenant (read Hebrews) that nullifies the Old Covenant (Old Testament Law). There is a place to be open to the Holy Spirit for matters of law as it is written in our hearts. We don't live under law but under Grace. Does that mean that there is no regard for right living? Absolutely not. If God is speaking through the church today, there is access to God's opinion through the Third Member of the Trinity. Obviously the church is divided on this issue ... Piers brought up a very valid point in spirit...

In the 1st chapter of Romans, Paul explains the need for the gospel and lists a litany of sins for which mankind is ultimately guilty. In the 6th chapter of Romans, Paul succinctly explains why a Christian stops sinning after conversion. The Holy Spirit does many things, but He doesn't justify sinful living, whatever it may be.

Rick Warren does not speak for me on the issue of LGBT. Pierce, please consider Roman Catholic author and international speaker James Alison on the topic of the LGBT community. Born in Great Britain, he has a lovely accent that actually surpasses yours. He is currently in Brazil. Rick Warren may have made a lot of money in his ministry, but he offers no real depth and insight on the subject of Christianity and being LGBT. Again – look up James Alison if you want to do that topic justice.

I think St Jerome has people like Rick Warren in mind when he said, "Under Christ’s banner seek for no worldly gain, lest having more than when you first became a clergyman, you hear men say, to your shame, “Their portion shall not profit them.”1346 Welcome poor men and strangers to your homely board, that with them Christ may be your guest. A clergyman who engages in business, and who rises from poverty to wealth, and from obscurity to a high position, avoid as you would the plague."

Why do so many people listen to Rick Warren? They follow him as if he is the voice of God. The voice of God lives in each of us. Hate or prejudice is not the voice of God. It is hard for me to fathom why so many people put their faith in the voices of people who are put in the "limelight". Rick neglects to talk about not judging others. I know a lot of people will throw out other things to defend him but let's go to the basics for those who call themselves Christian. Jesus gave us to commands. They are not "thou shall not's" but are "Thou shall" – love God and love neighbor. How is a gay person hurting someone who is loving someone. Makes no sense to me. If there is a problem with what I have said, I have no apologies except I choose and will always choose to love and try my best never to judge others. I have enough to be concern about in my own life then to worry about another person who is loving someone else – male or female. We are all made in God's image -there is no male or female – I believe a great disciple of Jesus name Paul said this.

I think there is a difference between judging a person and judging whether or not it is good for me or whether it is the will of God. I tire of relativism. We are called to judge whether something is the will of God. We base that on what we have learned from study and from we have learned from people who have learned even more. We will be judged by how we treat people and what Rick Warren said was that mutual respect is important. We are not called to denigrate, demoralize, demonize, or degrade people for decisions on how to live and no this is not a debate of choice or genetics. We still choose how we live. I have many friends that are gay. I don't do any of those things otherwise, they wouldn't be my friends. What matters to my friends is how I treat them.

Having a free and open country doesnt mean the church has to adopt the same beliefs. Its called separation of church and state. 2nd, teach inner city school kids gun safety classes and also crime and violence classes. Oops, I forgot, that would be education of a modern society, so noone really wants to do that. Educate.

Is it inequality for me to withhold my checkbook from my children? Is it inequality to withhold the right to marriage from toddlers? I mean, how can you espouse genuine equality as an ideology if you withhold marriage from pedophiles? It is amazing to me that the very same people using a carte blanche equality argument have no problems with the murder of unborn children. How can they say they believe in equality?

This is a difficult interview to watch because they are talking past one another as well as replaying the false dichotomy of gay verses Christian. There already ARE Christian pastor A-PLENTY who affirm full equality, including marriage and ordination of LGBT men and women. Also – marriage as defined by the bible has NOT always been between one woman and one man. Finally, the STATE defines marriage for the sake of civil and economic rights. Any church may determine who's marriage they want to bless and the state should be able to allow any consenting adults to marry. Separation of church and state.

Maybe the state ought to get out of the business of marriage. In some countries, when you get married there is the legal marriage in the city governments office and if you want a church wedding you make that arrangement with the church, but you have to have the government ordained union in order for it to be legal. If the church doesn't want to sanction the marriage, they don't. Maybe states ought to just do civil unions and if you want a marriage, arrange it with a church.

+1. Marriage should remain the province of the church. The states should get completely out of the marriage business and enact civil unions, which could be between any adults who are eligible to sign a contract and would have nothing to do with marriage.

My problem with Piers is that when Rick tries to answer a question he keeps asking question, machine gun style, stepping on the answer that Rick is trying to give. He throws praise at Rick but doesn't let him answer. Unfortunately, I did not watch the interview but from a journalistic/media perspective if you ask a question, let them answer it. It is not court where you ask questions that you already know the answer to the question. Tolerant means you have to let Rick answer the question that you asked even if you don't agree with the answer. Stop stepping on the answer with a bunch of questions before he has answered the previous question just because you don't like what you are hearing.

Rick should fear GOD's disapproval. He will eventually have to justify every word he has said. And you know what? Since he has been running around speaking in GOD's name he is going to be held to a higher standard and will most likely be judged more severely. Good luck Rick...you are going to need it.

Jeff it seems like you're condemning Rick Warren. You're right he will be judged at a higher standard as a teacher of the bible, but biblically speaking (according to God's Word) Rick showed love and grace, and said nothing contradicting God's Word.

hi... the term marriage is not being re-defined. Marriage should be a committed, loving relationship between two people that choose to love, honor and work together to create a family. This is what it means. Gay and Lesbian people have been creating these families for years... we have been married for years. My brother and his partner have been in a loving relationship for nearly 20 years.... their relationship is celebrated by our family... in exactly the same way my family celebrates my sisters' marriages to men. What I find strange is... that Rick W and others like him do... is rely more on a book that has been written and re-written by men over the course of a few thousand years rather than rely on the love and the humanity that they see around them right now. If I want to find the word of GOD... I look into the hearts of the people around me... not into a mistranslated book written for priests and kings.

That's a poor argument, because I look around and I see a bunch of broken people (including myself), war, death, and, sickness. Do I see love? Sure I do, but to base the word of God on people's hearts is dangerous. The Word if God is the Word of God, just as the word of Robert is the word of Robert. Your definition of marriage is based on opinion, rather than going back to the way we've been created. If my son came up to me and said, "I ate candy all day and I didn't get sick, therefore, we should define healthy meals to include eating nothing but candy." We'd all say, you missed the point.
Unfortunately, we probably won't gain much headway from these conversations. Before you start downplaying the reliability of Bible, do some objective research. Christians rely on God's Word because it gives a better idea of how life was intended to be lived, the reality of the world, and God's relentless love for us.

The candy analogy is just not relevant to this complex issue and reveals your simple minded approach to dealing with your, ahem, inner conflicts. It isn't working. You are also attempting to prove the validity of the Bible by saying that it is a guide of "how life is meant to be lived" and that all we need to do to realize this is to do objective research. Yet your message is wrought with subjectivity. "Your definition of marriage is based on opinion, rather than going back to the way we've been created." Yikes

Jeff, thanks for the reply. The way we were created is not subjective, but for all intents and purposes lets just remove that out of the equation. With a rational and logical mind, let's look at a naked man and a woman objectively. There is clearly only one way procreation is naturally able to take place. There is zero subjectivity in that. A life from another planet who came to earth to examine a man and a woman would come to the same conclusion.
The proof of the bible being valid was not based on what Christians believe about it. I think you misunderstood. I encouraged the poster to do some objective research before downplaying its reliability.

I think this issue is so emotionally(understandably) charged that it's hard to actually have rational and productive conversations.

I wissh the the liberals at cnn would stop convoluting the popes and the Church 2000 years of teaching on faith and morals. Stop using heretical fake Catholic organizations like the National Catholic Reporter

Warren doesn't seem to know how marriage has already been redefined time and time again throughout history. If he doesn't want marriage to ever be changed, then he needs to go back to the time when marriage had nothing to do with love and it was arranged so families could consolidate power or gain riches. Or back when 12-year-olds could marry. Or back when you could marry family members. Or back when people of different races couldn't marry (not that long ago).

JT I don't understand where you got the sense I was forcing anything on anyone. I said what Christians believe. It's always weird to me that people accuse Christians of forcing their beliefs on people when the accusers are doing the same exact thing. I don't hate the LGBT community, I just don't agree with the lifestyle. I don't believe it's God's best, at the same time I'm not going to force those beliefs on you. I don't have the power to change hearts. Unfortunately, there's many people the media go to (not Rick Warren) that do a poor job in loving the LGBT community, and for that on behalf of the Church I'm really sorry.

There is such an air of nastiness in your response disguised as this sort of Christian "love." "I don't have the power to change hearts," what does that even mean? That a gay man such as myself has his heart in the wrong place? I don't have the power to change your heart either, Mike, to make you a different, better person, that fits in more nicely with my worldview.

James, you're reading the "air of nastiness" into it. There is genuine apology in this, and if you felt like there is nastiness I'm sorry for that. I think we all could use some heart change, myself included.

Thanks Shells for the passage. The keyword in the Scripture you posted is “fulfill”. We are in a New Covenant where we have the nature of God living in us in the form of the Holy Spirit. In terms of character, and the subsequent words of Jesus in the passage you quoted, we are often are led to higher forms of ethical and moral conduct than under the old law or covenant. How do we get there? It is by focusing on Jesus through a Living Relationship empowered by the Holy Spirit NOT living a a set of codes from the Old Covenant. You can’t pick and choose old laws under the old covenant to govern the New Testament church. There is a place to seek God, through the direction of the Holy Spirit, in moving through societal changes. The gay issues are certainly in this category. If we were still living under the old law, like Piers mentioned, we would still be stoning people and brining blood sacrifices to church. Hebrews 8:13 –”13 By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.”

If man as we knew it were the highest being in the known creation, and there were no beings, divine or otherwise, then yeah, man makes the rules, do whatever you want. But we believe that there is ONE from whom all things derive their being. We get our values from Him, that is God. I'm glad Pastor Warren stood his ground.

I heard Pastor Warren say that he plans to focus on promoting awareness of mental health as a result of his son committing suicide. I just wonder if he is "strong" enough to advocate the Affordable Care Act and rally for improving and expanding MENTAL HEALTH benefits. Gun control is not going away! The "sin" is within the minds of the mentally ill and those who do not speak up for them.

If I were ask the question, will I change my mind regarding gay marriage? my answer would be no because while I have met many wonderfully nice gay people and many nice people in general who do good things. I have never met a gay person or any other person who was good. Jesus said of men you being evil know how to do good. See God is nice and good. Because while a gay person will not give up their male or female lover to save my life or even their own life. Jesus gave up his very life just for me. Gay people are trying to find their lives. Jesus was willing to loose his life. So I will stick with him and what pleases him. And when he spoke of marriage he spoke of a man and a woman. People are nice at times. God is good all the time...

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I agree that we should all "fear God" but I don't think that God expects us to be oppressive when we don't have an answer .. I think it is better to say that we don't know and encourage believers to do the "right thing" as they discern it in their heart. I understand that is what the Pope had in mind in his responses to the Catholic church. It is very difficult to imagine God creating believers and then not giving them a reasonable way of living in what they cannot change... Once a person is "born again", everything changes... I don't think that Rick sees that. I personally wrote Mrs. Warren who seemed open but I have not heard her final response.

So where is the rest of the interview? Where can we see Rick Warren defend the rest of his statement instead of being cut off by the media and trying to brain wash society? Why can't the man spread the truth on national television rather than have the full interview nowhere to be found? People, don't listen to the media they distort the original content, do the research and don't be ignorant of the Bible like Piers Morgan is here. Some of us Christians consider and read up on your worldviews, so don't be ignorant because not all of us Christians are ignorant.

great points altogether, you just won a new reader. What could you recommend in regards to your post that you just made some days in the past? Any certain?
home page http://cohccministries.org/component/k2/itemlist/user/109135179

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